Weather tracking and forecasting is very important for protecting life and property from severe weather systems. One important component in weather tracking and forecasting is weather radar. In the U.S., the National Weather Service (NWS), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the U.S. Air Force operate a network of ground-based Doppler weather radars called NEXRAD (Next-Generation Radar). The NEXRAD system utilizes radar scan data to detect precipitation in the atmosphere as well as its movement. Data from the various NEXRAD stations may be combined to display regions of precipitation moving across a map.
Other types of devices are also used for monitoring and forecasting weather systems, such as spaced-based (i.e., satellite) imaging or scanning devices. One such device is an infrared scanner, which captures images in the infrared band of light and shows the relative warmth of objects. Infrared imagery is useful for determining cloud features during both daytime and nighttime. Other forms of satellite imaging may be taken using a wavelength sensitive to the content of water vapor in the atmosphere, which can indicate the presence of both high moisture content and/or ice crystals. Water vapor imagery is useful for determining both locations of moisture and atmospheric circulations.
With the information provided by radar or other weather imaging tools, forecasters attempt to predict when and where sever weather will occur. Numerical weather prediction (NWP) uses mathematical models of the atmosphere and oceans to predict the weather based on the measured weather conditions. While NWP modeling can be helpful, such modeling generally requires a large amount of computing power to process the voluminous data sets and complex equations required for such modeling. Moreover, NWP modeling may not provide the accuracy or granularity required for certain applications.